Hays Arts Council
The Hays Arts Council is now accepting entries for the 43rd annual Five State Photography Competition & Exhibition, inviting photographers from Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Colorado to submit their work for consideration.
This year, we’re partnering with the Hays Public Library to host the exhibition, which opens on Dec. 5, while our building is under renovation. There are $1,500 in cash awards, and 100 photographs will be selected for the exhibition.
This year’s competition introduces a new online submission process through CaFÉ (CallForEntry.org). Photographers can submit digital images for jurying without the cost and hassle of printing and shipping photographs that may not be selected. The change also allows the competition to remain accessible while the Hays Arts Council’s facilities are undergoing renovation.
Photographic works may be submitted in three categories: Nature, People, and Open. Any photographic process or subject is eligible, and works must be original, created within the last three years, and not previously included in a Five State Photography Exhibition.
This year’s juror is Elise Kirk, photographic artist and educator, associate professor of Lawrence. Kirk’s photographic practice explores human nature in an ecological world and the ways people construct themselves through their environments.
The Hays Arts Council will select 100 photographs for exhibition, with $1,500 in cash awards—$500 in each category. Selected photographers will provide an 8-by-10-inch print of their accepted work, which will be matted and framed for exhibition by the Hays Arts Council.
The exhibition will be held at the Hays Public Library, 1205 Main Street, from December 5, 2026, through January 31, 2027. The exhibition will open as part of the Hays Arts Council’s Winter Art Walk on Saturday, December 5.
The entry deadline is October 23, 2026. Complete competition information and the online submission link are available at haysartscouncil.org/five-state.
The Hays Arts Council gratefully acknowledges the support of this year’s Five State Photography Competition sponsors: Bank of Hays, Gary & Mary Ann Shorman, Werth Wealth Management, and Northwestern Printers. Their support helps make this annual regional photography competition and exhibition possible.
For questions, contact the Hays Arts Council at arts@haysartscouncil.org or 785-625-752.